BOOM!
Strange spiritual threads burst forth from the bodies of the seven disciples in an instant, swirling around them like a living mist. These threads rapidly began absorbing energy from the surrounding air, weaving and intertwining around their bodies before flowing back into their cores, transforming into miniature Nascent Souls suspended within each of their dantians.
Their cultivation surged forward at a tremendous pace.
Nascent Soul, Stage 1
...
Nascent Soul, Stage 3
...
Nascent Soul, Stage 5
...
Nascent Soul, Stage 7
...
Nascent Soul, Stage 9
Before long, each of them had successfully formed a stable foundation. The spiritual energy within their bodies settled, and their eyes opened in unison none of them spoke a word.
Guan Zixuan stared at the Nascent Soul floating before him with trembling eyes. It bore his exact likeness, its expression calm and composed, like a perfect reflection in a polished mirror.
"So this... is my current power?" he thought to himself, lightly clenching his fists. The sensation of strength coursing through his body made it hard to believe this was truly his own self. Since the day he had become Han Ming's disciple, everything had changed beyond recognition.
In the past, he believed he understood cultivation well enough. But under his master's guidance, he had come to realize just how little he truly knew of this world.
At that moment, Han Ming's voice rang out.
"Your foundations are stable now. Therefore... begin taking the pill marked with number five."
His words were firm and precise. Everyone immediately returned to full focus, each retrieving the pill labeled with a glowing number 5.
The pill emitted a faint but radiant glow. Its power was far from ordinary, for it contained the five sacred elemental forces in perfect harmony. This wasn't just any ordinary Emperor-grade pill it was one personally modified by Han Ming's hand, its properties expanded to encompass nearly all elemental affinities.
Without hesitation, all seven disciples swallowed the pill at once.
BOOOOOOM!!
The power of the pill erupted throughout their bodies at once. The five elemental forces burst forth violently, expanding in all directions before condensing into their spiritual meridians. The energy that surged out of them was overwhelming, and their cultivation soared once again.
Spirit Formation, Stage 1
...
Spirit Formation, Stage 5
...
Spirit Formation, Stage 7
...
Spirit Formation, Stage 9
The light of the elemental powers still shone brightly across their bodies. Han Ming watched his seven disciples in silence.
Though the energy within the seven had begun to settle, the sacred elemental forces circulating around them remained turbulent. After carefully examining their foundations, Han Ming finally spoke in a calm voice.
"Begin taking the pill marked with number six."
All seven disciples nodded in unison with reverent respect before lifting the prepared pill and swallowing it without hesitation.
Fwoooosh...
As soon as the pill was absorbed into their systems, a glowing ring appeared behind each of them. It shimmered faintly at first, then steadily multiplied two, three, four... until it reached ten.
The light of the rings began to shift colors one after another pure white turned to golden yellow, followed by pale blue, then deep green, then a dark violet, then crimson red, and finally a radiant, blinding gold.
The power within their bodies was undergoing a transformation unlike anything they had ever experienced. In moments, the rings behind each of them began to glow with distinct hues, each radiating its own unique brilliance.
Lei Chen's rings radiated in vibrant rainbow hues, as if the essence of every elemental force had merged into a single, dazzling spectrum.
Rong Lixian's rings gleamed with a golden brilliance, shining like the very light of the heavens.
Su Baining's rings turned into a pale blue-white, emanating an aura of chilling frost.
Hao Yang's rings pulsed in alternating shades of red and orange, like an eternal, undying flame.
Feng Huangjun's rings were a deep black mixed with violet, exuding an aura of void and silence.
Guan Zixuan's ten rings each shone in a different color, no two alike, a kaleidoscope of boundless possibilities.
Ye Liyin's rings, however, turned pitch black, so dark that no light could pass through them, like a fragment of the abyss itself.
And yet, there was one thing they all shared one of their ten rings was the same. A black-violet ring that held the power of the void.
These rings were not mere ornaments. They were vessels that could store various elemental powers within themselves. When the user desired, they could instantly draw upon the power stored in the rings without needing to channel it through special physiques or cultivate specific techniques, nor did they have to wait until reaching the realm of the Great Emperor to wield the power of the void. They could use it from this stage onward.
More importantly, these rings would grow alongside their users, as long as they lived.
Suddenly, the disciples' cultivation surged again.
Body Integration, Stage 1
...
Body Integration, Stage 3
...
Body Integration, Stage 6
...
Body Integration, Stage 9
Han Ming gazed at his seven disciples sitting calmly before him, carefully inspecting the foundation of each one in detail. Once he finished his assessment and saw that all seven had opened their eyes, he spoke with a serious tone.
"You may take the next pill now. But this time, focus yourselves well. I'm not too worried about the first five, but Guan Zixuan and Ye Liyin, the two of you must hold your minds steady. The next stage will be extremely painful. Do you understand?"
"We will not disappoint you, Master!" the voices of Guan Zixuan and Ye Liyin rang out together, firm and unwavering. Not even the slightest tremble flickered in their eyes.
They both understood Han Ming's methods well, and they were fully aware that although they had just advanced to the Body Integration stage, the power they had gained was astonishing. Especially for Guan Zixuan and Ye Liyin these two had once stood at the levels of Saint King and Saint respectively. But due to a cruel twist of fate and grievous mistakes in the past few years, they had fallen into ruin, reduced to powerless cripples.
The memories of their former glory and the unbearable disgrace of defeat… all of it had been forged into unwavering determination. They hesitated no longer. With both hands, they took the pill marked with the number seven and swallowed it in one motion.
BOOM!
In less than a breath, the pill's power erupted from within their bodies.
"AAAGGHH!!!"
The screams of Ye Liyin and Guan Zixuan echoed simultaneously. Agonizing pain surged through their bodies like a storm without end, threatening to tear them into shreds on the spot.
While the other five disciples were drenched in sweat and clenching their jaws tightly, they still managed to maintain their composure. They had all passed through the Hut of Combat... where, although death within did not leave lasting wounds, the pain during simulated battles was very real. Severed limbs, vanishing flesh, shattered bones—every agony was vividly felt. Han Ming had designed it that way, to condition them to endure pain, to steel their minds, and to sharpen their awareness during moments of life and death.
Han Ming lifted his hand and gently tapped the air. A layer of spiritual energy spread out, enveloping the two new disciples' bodies to prevent them from accidentally biting through their tongues.
The sound of bones grinding echoed from the bodies of all seven—crack, crack, crack...—like stone being shattered by a sledgehammer. Every nerve in their bodies quivered as waves of pain surged from within, caused by the transformation of their very skeletons.
Guan Zixuan clenched his teeth so tightly that blood dripped from the corners of his mouth. He had once had his hand severed and his cultivation crippled, yet even then, he had never experienced pain like this. It felt as though every bone in his body was being crushed into powder, only to be reforged piece by piece, joint by joint.
Ye Liyin was no different. Her face contorted in torment, her entire body trembling uncontrollably as sweat poured from her like rain. This pain was even worse than when her bodily origin had once been forcefully extracted. It was so overwhelming that her consciousness began to blur.
Just before their minds slipped away, their master's voice rang out, steady and clear in their ears, anchoring them.
"Calm yourselves. Focus. Do not lose yourselves in the pain."
The two clenched their jaws once more. Though their bodies felt like they were being burned alive in hell over and over again, their minds grew stronger and more resilient with each passing moment.
Before long, new bones began to take shape, born from the power of the medicinal pill. The skeletons of all seven disciples began to change color from pale white to deep green, then dark blue, turning to brilliant gold, and finally transforming into a dark crimson black. The energy radiating from those bones was like that of ancient sacred relics.
And at that moment, their cultivation surged once again.
Nirvana Stage 1
...
Nirvana Stage 5
...
Nirvana Stage 9!